Milk tank



July 26, 1932. Y w. E. GUI-:sT

MILK TANK 'l Filed Jan. l2. 1951A being broken away to more Patented July 26, 1932 UNITI-:n STATES 'WARD E. GUEST, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, lASSIGNOB, TO KRAFT-PHENIX CHEESE COR-'p PATENT] 'OFFICE l PORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOXS, A CORPORATION `OFDELAWARE MILK TANK .Application `filed January 12, 1931. Serial No. 508,324.

into the tank; to provide such a meanswhich 1o willv be eiiicient but low in cost of operation,

construction and maintenance; and in gen eral, it is 'an object of the'invention to pro,-y vide an improved milk tank of the clas'sldev scribed.

Other objects it advantages will be understood-byreference to thefollowing speci#` fication and accompanying drawing, ,1n whichthe invention isillustrated as applied c. to a milk tank. Y I l In the drawing: n Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view through a` milk storage tank, n i

Fig. 2'is a section-similar to a'portion of c. Fig. 1 but illustrating the details of construction of the means for breaking down foam,

and

Fig. 3 is a 'fragmentary plan of an element of the foam breaking device, certainparts clearly illustrate '30 the structure. v

- Referring now to the drawing, my invention comprises a storage tank 'constructed of suitable material and of suitable size, and

c mechanism indicated at 6 for breaking ldown 5 foamwhich forms in the top of the tank' as" an incident to the discharge of milk thereinto.

- The tank 5 may be of circular'construction x and of comparatively large diameter; for eX'- ample, about 12 feet. The foam'breaking device whichincludes a rotating element 7 may conveniently be. much smaller in diameter; for example, about 1 foot. The depth o-f the tank may be varied widely' and may be such as best suits the convenience of the user. The

foam breaking devicev 6 is supported in ther upper portion of ythe tank centrally thereof by .means of angle iron or like cross bars 8 which rest on the'upp'er edge ofthe tank.

A VThe construction of the foam br-eakingdef vice is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and includes a bracket member 9 lwhich extends between and is secured at its ends to the supporting.crossmembers 8. The bracket 9 includes a hub korrbossv 10 Awhich maybe formed as an integral part thereof por otherwise,-the boss or hub 10 being apertured as indicated at 11 to receive a bushing :12.1 The `bushing 12constitutesa bearing for ajshaft 13 which is yfreely rotatable withinthe bushing. The yupper end ofthe shaft 13 is preportion lcwhich serves to support the Yshaft in predetermined yvertical positionl relative to the bracket9,ajsuitable ball bearing 15 being interposedy between the iiange 14 and bracket vided with an outwardly extending llange f 9 vto` facilitaterfree 'running of the shaft'. Suitable means such as indicated at' 16- may be provided for supplying lubricant yunder pressure tothe bearing surfaces.

The rotating` element 7 is secured yto the lower `endof` the yshaft 13 so as to lbe rotatably supported thereby. This rotor `comprises a top plater 17, al bottom plate 18 and aplurality of blades or vanes 19`which`extend between the top and bottom plates 17 andk 18 in spaced relation.` The top plate 17 islapertured to iit over the threaded reduced end krportion'2()k of theshaft 13 and so 4as tov Y Seaton the shoulder 21 formed asl an incident .to the provision ofthe said reducedthre'adcd end portion20. -A nut 22 in theform of an inverted cone having ahconcavei surface fits the threaded end portionQQ of the shaftjand serves to clamp 'the rotor tothe saidrshaft. A suitable-washer 23 may beinterposed be#l .c tween the topplate 17 andthe lower end of the bearing hubf'lO to prevent excessive verexcessive wearv between the relatively mov,-

ing parts. The lower plate 18 ofy the rotor *ticalv movement ofk the rotor and yto avoid The-*blades or vannes:y 19k are preferably` l spirally curved substantially as indicatedV in Fig. 3" so that liquidV entering `the rotor soi through the opening 24 in the bottom plate and passing outwardly through the spaces between the blades will be effective to actuate the rotor as an incident to the outward flow ot the liquid.

For actuating the rotor, I provide a supply line or pipe 25 which enters the tank, preferably through the wall thereof at a point spaced considerably below the top edge ot the tank, this supply line being provided with a discharge nozzle 26 which is so positioned as to direct the stream of milk or other liquid through the opening 2l in the bottom plate ot the rotor and against the nut 22 which spreads or diverges the stream in all directions from the axis of the rotor and against the rotor blades 19. It will be seen that the rotor will thus be actuated by the iow oit the liquid discharged into the tank. As an incident to such rotation ot the rotor, an auxiliary draft or flow will be established, this How entering the rotor through the opening 24 around the stream of liquid discharged from the nozzle 26 and then tollowing the liquidk outwardly through the spaces between the blades 19. This auxiliary flow will consist of foam which forms in the top ot the tank and most, if not all, of the foam which is drawn into the rotor will be broken up by engagement of the various blades with the bubbles which make up the foam, Hence, the rotating element is operative to break down the foam and to restore the same to its normal liquid condition. In Fig. l, the auxiliary How of foam into the rotor is indicated by arrows designated 27, and arrows 28 indicate the discharge tlow which includes both the liquid discharged by the nozzle 26 and the liquid resulting from the breaking down of the foam.

The above described mechanism operates as an incident to the discharge of liquid into the tank, and hence is extremely economical to operate in that no electric motor or other driving means is required. It is also of simple construction which can obviously be made strong and durable at low cost, and which will not readily become out of order.

Changes may be made in the above described structure without departing from the spirit of the invention` the scope of which should be determined by reference to the following claims, the same being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state ot the art.

I claim as my invention:

l. In combination, a liquid storage tank, means for supplying liquid to said tank in a vertically directed stream, and means for breaking down foam formed in the tank comprising an axially vert-ical rotor located in the upper portion ot the tank in the path of said vertically directed stream so as to be engaged and actuated thereby, said rotor including a plurality of blades and a center member for diverging said stream of liquid to said blades,

2. In combination, a liquid storage tank, means for supplying liquid to said tank in a vertically directed stream, an axially vertical rotor, means for mounting said rotor in the upper portion of said tank, said rotor including relatively spaced top and bottom plates and a plurality of blades or vanos extending between said plates, one oi said plates being provided with a centrally disposed opening through which said striam is adapted to enter that rotor, and means disposed centrally ot and between said plates for diverging and directing against aid vanes, the stream ot liquid entering the rotor to thereby actuate the same.

3. In combination, a liquid storage tank, means for supplying liquid to said tank in a vertically directed stream, and means 'for breaking down foam formed in the tank, comprising an axially vertical rotor having its axis disposed substantially in line with and in the path of said stream, said rotor being actuated by said stream and serving to distribute the liquid thereof outwardly from its axis.

l. In combination, a liquid storage tank, means for supplying liquid to said tank in a vertically directed stream, and means for breaking down foam Jformed in the tank, comprising an axially vertical rotor having its axis disposed substantially in line with and in the path of said stream, said rotor having a distributing member which is impacted upon by said stream, and a plurality of vanes directed from said distributing member toward the outer periphery of said rotor, the liquid being distributed outwardly by said distributing member and serving f to actuate said rotor by impingement upon said vanes.

5. In combination, a liquid storage tank, means for supplying liquid to said tank in a vertically directed stream, and means for breaking down foam formed in the tank, comprising an axially' vertical rotor having its axis disposed substantially in line with and in the path of said stream, said rotor having a distributing member which is impacted upon by said stream, and a plurality of substantially spiral vanes directed from said distributing member toward the outer periphery of said rotor, the liquid being distributed outwardly by said distributing member and serving to actuate said rotor by impingement upon said vanes.

6. In combination, a liquid storage tank, means for supplying liquid to said tank in a vertically directed stream, and means for breaking down vtoam formed in the tank, comprising an axially vertical rotor having its axis disposed substantially in line with and in the path ot said stream, said rotor having a distributing member substantially in the form `o' a concave cone having its verteX directed toward said stream, and a plurality of vanes directed from said distributing member toward the outer periphery of said rotor, the liquid being distributed outwardly by said distributing member and' serving to actuate said rotor byimpingement upon said vanes. 1 l@ .7. In combination, a liquid storage tank,

means for supplying liquid to said tank in a vertically directed stream, and means for. breaking down foam formed in the tank, comprising an axially vertical rotor having its aXis disposed substantially in line vWith and in the path of said stream, said rotor-havl ing a distributing member substantially in the -form of a concave cone having its vertex directed toward said stream, and a plurality 20 of substantially spiral vanes directed from said distributing member toward the outer periphery of said rotor, the liquid being' distributed outwardly by said distributing memberand serving to actuate said rotor by C' impingement upon said vanes.

WARD E. GUEST. 

